A happy and holy All Hallows (aka All Saints Day) and a good-spirit-filled Samhain! In Mexico and the U.S., on November 1st and 2nd many people celebrate Dia de los Angelitos (the Day of the Little Angels) and Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead). All of these holidays have something in common. They celebrate those who have passed from this world to the next. The ancient Celtic fire festival of Samhain and the Aztec / Mexican Day of the Dead also both celebrate the return of the ancestors.
For more than 3,000 years, the Indigenous peoples of Mexico have practiced folk traditions that reflected a belief that, in late October / early November, the souls of those who’ve passed to the afterlife can come back to spend a little time with loved ones in this world. Similarly, for thousands of years, the Celts believed that, at Samhain (which begins at sundown on October 31st and continues to sunset on November 1st), the veil separating this world from the Otherworld was at its thinnest. Because of this, the tradition says, people (and other beings) from either side can cross to the other.
I’ve written posts about preparing for the return of the ancestors and ways to avoid unfriendly ghosts who hang out in graveyards, crossroads, and other in-betweens on Samhain’s Eve. I’ve also written reminders that the ancestors aren’t the only ones who come into this world at this time. Faeries, according to folklore, crossover too—and many are looking to cause mischief!
But it works both ways. They come into our world. But we can go into theirs as well, intentionally or by accident. So, if you stumble into the Otherworld (or fool-heartedly go there in search of adventure), who might you encounter? Here are some possibilities.
Ghosts
In Celtic folklore, the Otherworld is (among other things) the place where souls go after a person dies. Or, at least, hopefully one’s soul goes there. There is the possibility that, while your loved one lies dying, the Sluagh Sidhe (a malevolent faerie collective) could swope in through west-facing windows and steal the person’s soul. So, close those windows!
Even after your beloved’s died and the corpse is laid out for the wake, the soul is still housed in the body. According to Irish and Scottish folklore, it’s during this time that another nasty faerie—the cat sidhe (or cat sith)—could stroll into the room in the form of a black cat, walk over the body, and steal the person’s soul.
But now that you’ve been warned, I trust you to take the proper precautions so that, when you visit the Otherworld, you will see your beloved again. Just be aware that there’ll be other souls there too and not all of them will be happy to see you. You might encounter your neighbor. You know—the one you sold the cow to. The cow that immediately dried up. You tried to tell him it was due to faerie mischief, but he didn’t believe you. He called you a cheat and swore on his dying breath he’d pay you back. Now, he may have taken advantage of the thinness of the veil to go look for you in the human world. The Otherworld might be the safest place for you during this time. Or not. After all, ghosts are not the only beings who call the Celtic Otherworld home. Read on.
Celtic Deities
Dagda: the chief father god in Irish mythology, Dagda is also known as the good god. Mostly benevolent, he has three important possessions: a cauldron, a club, and a harp. Both are, of course, magical. The cauldron provides a never-ending source of food. The club (sometimes referred to as a staff) has a rough side and a smooth side. If Dagda hit someone with the rough side, the person would die. But the god also could restore someone to life by hitting the person with the smooth side. With his harp, Dagda calls forth the seasons. The harp also affects people’s emotions, bringing them to tears and desolation or making them laugh. Its music can lull people to sleep as well.
The Cailleach: another creator deity. She is known in Scotland as Beira, goddess of winter and storms. Scottish mythology credits her with creating the mountains as well as controlling the weather. Also discussed in Irish and Manx folklore, the Cailleach is said to be the ancestor of all Irish men and the hag aspect of the Irish Triple Goddess. I recommend you stay away from her. The Cailleach is not known for her warm and fuzzy personality. And, by the way, she carries a giant hammer with which she controls the weather, but it can be used as a weapon too. Read more about her here.
Danu: the mother goddess of the Tuatha dé Danann. The magical beings known as the Tuatha dé Danann inhabited the island of Eire before the arrival of the Milesians, a branch of the human Gaels. After an extensive war between the two, they achieved peace by agreeing that each race would occupy half of the island. The magical race chose to go underground. (Probably not the half you were expecting them to choose). Irish folklore says they became the faeries. Their ancestor goddess, Danu, is portrayed as beautiful, motherly, and wise.
Lugh: Lugh is the Celtic sun god. He is ever-youthful, handsome, artistic, athletic, a great warrior, and…well, he just excels at everything. The ancient Celts believed Lugh went on vacation to the Otherworld each year sometime after the autumnal equinox. This resulted in the dark and cold of winter. On Samhain and during the winter, the Celts prayed for his return and did rituals to coax him back.
Brigid: The Celtic (not just Irish) goddess of summer, fire, and a whole list of other things. She is young, beautiful, and powerful. Twice a year, according to Scottish mythology, she battles the Cailleach. When she loses, winter comes. When she prevails, she returns to bring light and warmth to humans.
The Morrigan: the Triple Goddess. Also known as the Phantom Queen, she is the goddess of war, fate, and death. A shapeshifter, she often appears young and beautiful. Sometimes she looks like a middle-aged but still alluringly lovely noblewoman. On occasion, the Morrigan appears as an old crone. A mysterious figure, her face often is partially hidden by a hood or veil. This goddess also enjoys taking the form of a crow. Don’t mess with her! She can be helpful or deadly, depending on her mood and motivations. Many scholars believe Morgan le Faye of Arthurian legend is based on the Morrigan. Read about this major Celtic goddess here.
Rhiannon: Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac used to introduce her hit, “Rhiannon” by saying, “This is a song about an old Welsh witch.” Rhiannon is Welsh, but she is a young, beautiful enchantress. Many scholars see her as a version of the Celtic horse goddess Epona. While not quite as fearsome as the Morrigan, remember she is an enchantress. She will charm you to use you for her own purposes. Read Rhiannon's tragic story here.
Mythic Celts
Fionn mac Cumhail: a giant hero of Irish mythology as well as Scottish and Manx myth. No, really. I mean literally a giant. Fionn is renowned for his wisdom and for building Giants’ Causeway in Ireland. Read about his feud with a Scottish giant that led to the destruction of the causeway. But you might not encounter Fionn in the Otherworld. According to one legend, he never died. Instead, he is sleeping in a cave and will awake at the time of Ireland’s greatest need, sort of like that Welsh king…um, Arthur I think his name was.
Queen Maeve of Connacht: One of Ireland’s most famous queens. She is a gorgeous and powerful woman of action. And, when she wants something, she gets it. For example, she wanted the famous Brown Bull of Cooley so she could one-up her husband. When its owner refused to sell the cow, she sent her army to take it. This resulted in a war between Connacht and Ulster. After a lot of harassment from Ulster’s young hero warrior, Cu Chulainn, Maeve finally won her bull. (With a little help from the Morrigan who, having been spurned by Cu Chulainn, made sure he ended up dead shortly after.) Maeve pitted her prize bull against her husband’s and her bull won. Then, sadly, it died of its wounds. But Maeve didn’t care. She’d put her husband in his place. Read the full version of the story here.
Cu Chulainn: Another hero of Irish myth, Cu Chulainn made a name for himself during the war over the Brown Bull of Cooley. He is said to have been born miraculously and some believe him to be the sun god Lugh in human form. And it seems it might be. He’s an impressive warrior. As a teenager, he defended his home province of Ulster from Maeve’s forces all by himself. Yeah, that sounds like something Lugh would do. But I don’t know. He later didn’t recognize the Morrigan when she flirted with him. He rejected her advances. It’s not a good idea to insult the goddess of war when you’re on your way to engage in battle. During the battle, a crow flew overhead. Cu Chulainn died in the battle and, as he sat dying, the crow came and sat on his shoulder. Just a reminder: the Morrigan is a shapeshifter who often appears as a crow.
Faeries: The Otherworld is overflowing with faeries. Social groups include the Irish Trooping Faeries, the Scottish Seeley Court (and the Unseely Court who you really want to avoid), and the Welsh Y Telwyth Teg. Their main occupations are feasting, making music, dancing, and having sex. They also leave the Otherworld from time to time to travel around the human world. Just for a change of scenery. And, sometimes, to kidnap humans.
Less social faeries include (but are way not limited to) the Puca (a mischievous shape-shifter), the aforementioned soul-stealing faerie collective called the Sluagh Sidhe, and the Dullahan (a headless horseman messenger of death) who's often accompanied by a banshee.
Humans: Besides those humans who’ve passed onto the Otherworld, you might also encounter human women and children who were kidnapped by the faeries. And there might be a few humans—male and female—who’ve followed the faeries intentionally or who stumbled into the Otherworld by accident. They may believe they’re there for a fun night of partying but, if they return to the human world, they’ll discover years, even decades, have passed.
The Bottom Line is that the Otherworld is not a place to venture into lightly. Humans don’t belong there until their souls pass. Read my post about the Irish paradise, Tir na nÓg, and you’ll see what I mean.
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Slán go fóill
All artwork for this post (except for the Ukranian flag and the GIF) by Christine Dorman via Bing Image Creator.
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